Review of The Biblical Clock

[Paul Cousens]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Biblical Clock" by Daniel Friedmann and Dania Sheldon.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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The Biblical Clock by Daniel Friedmann and Dania Sheldon provides an explanation for how science and religion can be reconciled with respect to their determination of the age of the universe. Friedmann traces relevant history of science and religion to show the evolution of scientific measurements and the nuanced interpretations of scripture. Then, based on patterns he discerns from biblical history, he offers a hypothetical scenario of how our return to grace will happen.

Friedmann visits many periods of history, ranging from BCE to 2019. In these far back periods, he shows some surprisingly unique interpretations of scripture. These interpretations demonstrate the means through which the chronological age of the universe according to the bible can be reconciled with scientific measurements of the universe. He develops his own model of human history based on these interpretations. The interpretations, although surprising and perhaps not obvious to everyone, seem self-evident.

The storytelling is engaging. Since the historical periods are not discussed in a particular order, the book maintains high engagement by suddenly shifting from one historical period to another. For instance, one chapter shifts to a historical period that is nearly 700 years later than the previous chapter. Also, much of Friedmann's findings and resultant model of human history is told through his conversation with his nephew. This disjointed and unstructured way of writing makes his book seem more honest and having less overconfidence. Being grounded in honesty this way, it also makes the book's views seem more holistic.

Based on his model of human history, Friedmann speculates how a critical period in our future could play out. The hypothetical future is fun to read and draws on the global implications of our current technology in an interesting way. He emphasizes that this hypothetical scenario is speculative and probably not an accurate prediction of things to come.

Aside from the unique scriptural interpretations, Friedmann's novel model of human history, and the reconciliation of science with the bible, the book is a fun and interesting tour through human history. Friedmann writes about the ugly aspects of our history, like war, massacres, jealousy, and hate. But he also writes about the positive and uplifting aspects, like altruistic people and salvation.

At the end of the book, there is a glossary which clarifies many of the terms used in the book. This glossary is helpful for reviewing the important terms that are used in the book.

I would rate this book a 4 out of 4 stars. Whoever edited this book did a wonderful job. There were no grammatical errors. It was enjoying to read and very informative.

This book is recommended for anyone interested in history, particularly history as it relates to interpretations of the bible. Although it is a book that aims to validate the bible, to me, it did not come across at all as being dogmatic.

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The Biblical Clock
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